Nov 8, 2013 Print Edition

Oral Roberts University · Nov. 8, 2013 Tulsa, Okla. · Vol. 48, No. 6

www.oruoracle.com

SPORTSMen’s and women’s basketball season previewPgs. 12-13

NEWSOklahoma home to dangerous spidersPg. 5

NEWSDefendant in murder trial pleads guiltyPg. 3

Hannah Luce reunites with fi rst-responder to May 2012 fatal plane crash

PAGE 10

Hannah Luce reunites with fi rst-responder

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PAGE 16Comedic performances steal the show

ORU partners with Korean university PAGE 4

NEWS

SCENE

PAGE 18Lying doesn’t make friends

MUSE

News

THE ORACLE • Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 • 3

By Hannah Covington One of two young men charged in the murders of former ORU freshman Carissa Horton and her boy-friend, Ethan Nichols, faces life without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty last week in exchange for avoiding trial and a possible death penalty. Jerard Davis, 23, was awaiting trial along with Darren Price, 21, for two counts of fi rst-degree mur-der and two counts of robbery with a fi rearm in the September 2011 deaths of Iowa-natives Horton, 18, and Nichols, 21. Th e couple had gone for a walk in an east Tulsa city park on a Sunday evening. Davis changed his “not guilty” plea to “guilty” last week and appeared before Tulsa County District Judge Bill Musseman and a full courtroom on Oct. 29 for sentencing. District Attorney Tim Harris announced his intent to seek the death penalty in the murder case during the 2012 arraignment hearings, but Davis’ plea agree-ment will keep him off death row. Musseman announced the two robbery charges

against Davis have been dropped as part of the plea deal. He also explained that by pleading guilty, Davis has waved all his trial rights. Davis and Price were to be tried separately, with Davis’ trial scheduled to begin Monday. On the night of Sept. 18, 2011, Horton and Nichols were walking along a jogging trail in Hicks Park, at the 3400 block of South Mingo Road, when two males con-fronted and robbed them. Th e couple were then forced to their knees and shot in their heads execution style, according to police reports. Th eir bodies were not found until the next morning by joggers. Both Price and Davis admit to being in Hicks Park the night of the double-homicide but neither takes blame for the killings, ac-cording to court documents. In his factual basis statement during his guilty pleas, Davis claimed involvement in the robbery but said it was Price who pulled the trigger. Harris remains unconvinced. “Th is is a felony murder because we don’t know who pulled the trigger,” Harris said in an interview after the sentencing. “He’s saying Darren Price pulled it, but we don’t necessarily agree with that.” Lasting just more than half an hour, the plea deal was scheduled at 4 p.m. to accommodate the travel of the families, some of whom drove from Iowa to attend. Both Horton and Nichols moved to Tulsa from the small town of Keokuk, Iowa. When the freshman be-gan her music studies at ORU, the two started dating. During the plea deal, Horton’s and Nichols’ parents gave victim impact statements detailing how the mur-ders have aff ected their families. Susan Gardner, Horton’s mother, spoke of her daughter’s relationship with Nichols, who worked at the Blue Bell Creamery in Broken Arrow. “She also loved her boyfriend, Ethan. Th ey had big plans after her graduation of getting married and go-ing to Europe on a honeymoon,” Gardner said. Wearing a pin clipped on her shirt with the young woman’s small picture in it, Gardner talked about her daughter’s passion for music and dedication to service. She volunteered in the Big Brother, Big Sister program. Her mother is thankful for the CD she has of Horton singing. “[She was] a one-of-a-kind, special, unique young lady who loved God and loved people,” Gardner said.

“She did everything with a smile.” During his statement, Horton’s father, Rod Horton, spoke of the pain his daughter’s death has prompted. “Most every time I drive by a jogging trail, it brings back the memory of what happened to my daughter, and the tears start to fl ow,” Horton said. Teresa Nichols can’t rid herself of the nightmares. “My mind tries to go back to the murder scene those last moments before their lives were taken, and I wake up with my heart beating quickly and sobbing,” Nichols said. Nichols described her son, Ethan Nichols, as “a little quiet at times,” but would off er help or comfort to those who needed either. She said friends called him kind-hearted and giv-ing, with a goofy sense of humor. “With these trials come that reminder of the loss and the pain again,” Nichols said. Davis’ defense attorney, David Phillips, expressed his sympathy for the family before the Oct. 29 sen-tencing began. In an interview after the plea deal, Phillips empha-sized these same sentiments. “My client genuinely feels remorse,” Phillips said. “He realizes now there are a lot of things he could have done that night.” Phillips named calling the police and helping in the capture of Price as examples of what Davis could have done. Prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty for Price, who is set to appear in his trial by jury on Jan. 27.

GUILTY: New plea keeps suspect off death row

Jerard Davis

Darren Price

Defendants

Internet photo

Internet photos

Carissa Horton, left, and Ethan Nichols, right, were fatally shot Sept. 18, 2011, near 31st Street and Mingo Road.

4 • Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 • THE ORACLE

ORU partners with Asia Life University

Choice for home-schooling becomes less religious

By Madison McDaniel ORU announced its global partnership with Asia Life University (ALU) this past week. The academic partnership will allow incoming freshmen throughout Asia to experience a one-plus-three education. Students interested in the program will study at ALU in Daejeon, South Korea for one year. After completing 30 credits, students can enroll at ORU and finish their last three years in Tulsa, Okla. The parnership with Asia Life University is one of the first steps President William M. Wilson is taking toward the global expansion of ORU’s whole person education. “ORU is excited to partner with Asia Life University and expand its efforts to recruit Korean students,” Wilson said. Founded in 1972, ALU is a Pentecostal-Evangelical and inter-denominational theological university. Classes at the university are taught in Korean, English and Mandarin. According to Asia Life University’s website, ALU equips their students to “think, speak, relate, worship and serve in a Pentecostally orthodox and orthoprax manner.” During chapel on Oct. 30, a video was shown documenting the week spent in South Korea signing the partnership contract between the two universities during fall break.

“I’m so glad that our students can stay one year here and spend three years at ORU, so that a young man can go to the States and learn about how to better the spiritual power, the mind and the body,” said ALU President Dr. Yeol Soo Eim. President Wilson also expressed his excitement for the program. “It provides a unique model, which is an on-ramp for students to be able to learn English before arriving in the United States at our Tulsa campus,” Wilson said. Over 50 undergraduate majors will be offered to the students enrolled in the one-plus-three program; students will be able to receive their bachelor’s degree from ORU after completing one year at ALU and three at ORU. International students who are a part of the one-plus-three program have the same opportunity to apply for Quest Whole Person Scholarships, premier merit scholarships and merit awards.

Not only will these scholarships be available, but students will also have the opportunity to receive grant money depending on the total number of students enrolled in the program. “The partnership between ORU and ALU is the first major effort in the globalization of ORU, and our desire is to help raise up the next generation of Christian leaders to impact Korea, Asia and beyond for Jesus Christ,” Wilson said.

Religion News Service When Jennifer Pedersen-Giles started to home-school her son Westen six years ago, it was because he needed a more hands-on environment than what public schools could offer. Now, the eighth-grader studies writing, music, art, geometry, literature and world religions from his home in Arizona. Religion had little to do with his mother’s decision, and she’s not alone. According to the federally-funded National Center for Education Statistics, the share of parents who cited “religious or moral instruction” as their primary motivation for home-schooling dropped from 36 percent in 2007 to 21 percent during the 2011-12 school year. “You used to have to be a hero to home-school,” said John Edelson, founder and president of

Time4Learning, a curriculum provider for home-schoolers. “You were really going against the mainstream. Your mother-in-law didn’t understand it, the neighbors didn’t understand it, police would stop you in the middle of the day and wonder what was going on,” Edelson said. As home-schooling slowly becomes more mainstream — 3 percent of American students age 5-17 are home-schooled, up from 2.2 percent in 2003 — most parents cited the environment of public schools (25 percent), not religious belief, as the main reason behind their decision to home-school. “You go to any cocktail party, church, any group of people and you say, ‘I’m in the home schooling business,’ and all these women will jump on it and say, ‘Oh, we home-schooled,’” Edelson said. Brian Ray, president of the National

Home Education Research Institute, said years of studies on home education led to its increasing acceptance. “In the earlier days of the modern home-school movement, because home-schooling was such a tiny, tiny minority of the public, parents had to be very strongly committed to what they were doing,” Ray said. Edelson said there are generally three types of home-schoolers: those who do so for religious reasons; the “free spirits” who oppose a regimented public school system; and the “accidental home-schoolers” who find their children do not thrive in a traditional school environment. “This rise in home-schooling is reflected in curriculum needs,” said Gretchen Buck, administrator of Global Village School. “A lot of people who contact us are

looking for an alternative to the very many overtly Christian home-schooling programs that are out here, because that just does not fit in with their values,” said Buck. “They’re looking for secular home-schooling or just generally nonreligious.” In the case of Pedersen-Giles, her family does not adhere to a particular religion. She often discusses world religions with her son, and said he is free to choose his own beliefs. “Part of it is driven because they’re disappointed in the schools,” Edelson said. “If we had better schools, if the schools weren’t so confused and having trouble with testing and having trouble with budgets — that’s one of the things that’s fueling the home-school movement.”

Photo By Dominique Johnson

ORU students prayed for the nation of Korea with international student representatives holding the South Korean flag in a September chapel service..


Oklahoma home to dangerous spider species

Photo by Julianne Gonzalez

Engineering students teamed up in groups of three to design a working robot. The groups compet-ed Wednesday to see which group could navigate an obstacle course the fast-est. Sophomore Christian Palacios stands with the ro-bot that he and freshmen Samuel Moreira and Der-win Newsome designed.

By Julie Gonzalez Oklahoma is the natural habitat for two of the world’s most dangerous spiders. “The Brown Recluse, and Black Widow — those are two of the most venomous spiders we have in the Unit-ed States,” said Dr. Hal Reed, professor of biology at ORU. On Oct. 29, students spotted a spi-der with the unmistakable red hourglass mark of the Black Widow outside the GC. Junior Sarah Pease quickly in-formed security of the spider. Security handled the situation with a weighty stomp.The whole ordeal lasted less than five minutes. Both Brown Recluses and Black Widows are commonly found in Mid-west states. “Tulsa is the epicenter of Brown Recluses,” Reed said.

On Oct. 29, Kelsey Maggard, a sophomore, was bitten by a Brown Recluse. Her left arm bears the proof of its venom. The poison ate through her skin, which is a common symptom of a Re-cluse bite. Symptoms also include fever, redness, mild to intense pain, and nausea. ERgent Care on Riverside con-firmed Maggard’s suspicions of the bite being that of a Recluse. “They gave me a steroid shot, and medicine for 10 days,” Maggard said. Earlier in October, sophomore Au-gustine Mendoza’s pinky was bitten by what he believes was a Brown Recluse. “It took me about a week to believe it was a spider bite,” Mendoza said. As time passed, the bite became annoying to the point that Mendoza could not write. “My finger was swelling and it

looked infected,” Mendoza said. ORU is doing all they can to keep bugs out, but it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all bugs. Due to the spiders’ ten-dency to live in dark undis-turbed spaces, they are hard to find. The spiders can usually be found hiding under beds, or in closets. “You never completely get rid of bugs,” said Tim Philley, executive vice president of ORU. The university took advan-tage of the students’ absence during fall break 2013 to spray the dorms, but there will always be bugs no matter where you go. “Last year, we had a cricket infesta-tion [in Tulsa], this year I guess it’s a

spider infestation. It doesn’t exactly surprise me, but I don’t like it,” said sophomore Ashley Beck. If you spot a dangerous spider on campus, contact security or locate your heaviest footwear.

Students recognized a Black Widow spider on campus last week and notified security.

Photos by Dominique Johnson


Mayoral candidates debate Tulsa’s health statusBy Kristy Sturgill Mayoral candidates Dewey Bartlett and Kathy Taylor recently debated Tulsa topics concerning healthy living on Oct. 28 at the TCC Creative Center. Issues of debate included poverty, education, transportation and tobacco use. Th e candidates agreed on many of the discussed issues. Both candidates discussed the problem of food deserts in Tulsa; areas where residents have little access to fresh fruits and vegetables. “Food deserts are imperative to obesity,” Taylor said, “because people do not have access to healthy fruits and vegetables.” Bartlett agreed, saying the solution to food deserts is improving transportation systems and providing more options to help Tulsans aff ected to make healthier decisions. Both candidates agreed tobacco was an immediate issue to be addressed. Governor Mary Fallin is looking to give local communities the authority to ban tobacco use. Due to one in fi ve kids smoking, Taylor said she hopes to encourage “peer-to-peer” leadership in an eff ort to end underage tobacco use. Taylor is in support of giving local communities the authority to choose where tobacco use should be banned. “We should not wait on the state when addressing tobacco use,” said Taylor. “Instead, we need to do what we can now, which is education for teenagers. I do not want to wait on another government when I know Tulsa has a need that needs to be addressed.” Bartlett is seeing progress in the community concerning tobacco use. “2,500 people in the community have seen tobacco use as a problem,” said Bartlett, “and to me that is success.” Economic growth and the health of a community have a strong correlation, according to both candidates. “A healthy population is a more productive work force,” said Taylor. “For jobs to come to Tulsa, they look at the health of our community.”

Bartlett also had ideas for healthier living in the Tulsa community. “We need to have a continuation of the trail systems,” said Bartlett. “More bicycle trails and park programs will lead to a lifestyle change and ultimately a healthy community.” Regarding childhood obesity, Bartlett emphasized the importance of education. He stressed introducing more exercise in school systems, saying the amount of exercise seen in schools today is “lacking.” Taylor reviewed her recent study that linked childhood obesity with poverty. Th e results of this study resulted in Taylor presenting solutions involving education in parks and community centers, as well as addressing food deserts. Both candidates agreed that the city of Tulsa needs to partner with churches, universities and nonprofi ts to help people see doctors and receive nutritional education. Tulsa Board of Health sponsored the debate and health forum. Early voting began Nov. 7, with the general election being held Nov. 12.

The Candidates

Dewey Bartlett

Kathy Taylor

off your entire food purchase*

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SOURCE: Oklahoma State Department of Health

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1 IN 3

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Health concerns in Tulsa County...

Internet photos


FEATURESStudents congregate at Campus Worship

ORU grad opens Tulsa girls’ home

By Sissey DoohanCampus Worship is a place where

ORU students, faculty, staff and the community of Tulsa can worship every other Th ursday in Christ’s Chapel. Because of the positive feedback from College Weekend Nights of Wor-ship, the team at ORU Worship Center has geared up and revamped the time schedule for Campus Worship. “We upped it to every other week, because we felt it was important to the spiritual culture of ORU,” said Jona-than Swindal, director of the Worship Center for the past four years. Swindal said students are respond-

ing well to the extended worship time. Th is semester, the team said they were honored to host All Sons & Daughters, a worship duo based in Franklin, Tenn., for Campus Worship. He said All Sons & Daughters was chosen because many students enjoy their music and ministry. Daniel Tsubota, assistant director of the Worship Center, said his team lead-ers, staff , worship teams and volunteers dedicate hours of time preparing for the nights of worship. Tsubota said Campus Worship is the highlight of his month. “While we might have a guest wor-

ship leader next semester, our primary focus is for these nights to be a place for our student worship leaders to grow,” said Tsubota. Th e team said it’s diffi cult to calcu-late attendance, but an average of 400 to 500 people attended Campus Wor-ship in recent weeks. Swindal said Campus Worship is the main venue for student worship leaders to minister to God as well as their peers. “It’s not all about the music. It’s about the ministry,” said Mary Shaff er, a junior involved with ORU Worship Center. “It’s all about how we apply it

to our lives.” Jennica Dimailig, a junior also in-volved with Campus Worship, said the student’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is evident during worship nights. Dimailig said Campus Worship also uplifts the student body, which is vital to the spiritual life of ORU students. Despite the work or school sched-ule of the semester, taking out a little time during a Th ursday night could be benefi cial to students. Upcoming Campus Worship Nights are Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. Worship begins at 7 p.m.

By Dominique Johnson In her journal, Ashley Walker writes down the good things the day brought her: when one of her girls made the basketball team, when one of her girls prayed for the fi rst time and an unforgettable day spent at the lake house. But Walker’s “girls” are not her daughters. Walker, an ORU alumna, is the CEO and founder of Project Manna Girls’ Home. She opened the foster home three months ago. “[Project Manna Girls’ Home] is an initiative to develop the fi rst girls’ home here in Tulsa,” Walker said. “It will be more of a group home setting.” Th ree girls, ages 15, 17 and 19, currently live with Walker in the home. Th e two younger girls are cur-rently in Department of Human Services custody, as their parents were deemed unfi t guardians for ei-ther a temporary or permanent amount of time. Th e 19-year-old grew out of state custody, and is pregnant. “Once you reach a certain age, [chances for] adop-tion are slim to none,” Walker said. “I don’t want the girls moving around 15 to 20 times. [If that happens], there’s no stability, and they don’t have permanent connections once they’ve turned 18.” While Walker provides a home for these girls, she has not yet reached her goal. “We don’t want people to think we’re fi nished,” Walker said. “What we have right now is not the completion of the vision for the ministry. Right now, [we’re in] the fi rst stage of the project.” Currently, the foster home can only house up to six girls. She plans on transforming Project Manna Girls’ Home into a campus with cottages where more girls could live.

In January, Walker will start Project Manna Girls’ Home Capital Campaign, an eff ort to raise money for the expansion in order to serve more girls. Walker’s history with foster care stems from her own childhood. Walker was not in the foster care system herself, but her parents and relatives were all foster parents. “All of our Th anksgivings were very diverse,” Walker said. “We had a bunch of foster kids between my aunt, my uncle and my mom and dad.” Coming to ORU, Walker wanted to go to law school and get as far away from foster care as possible. But things changed when she went on a mission trip to Brazil in 2009. “While we were there, I had the opportunity to go to a [faith-based] orphanage,” Walker said. “Th e Holy Spirit just really jacked me up. I probably cried for about four hours straight.” She said the orphanage was a miracle from God, with suprisingly nice facilities. Walker has returned every year since then to con-tinue to learn from them. A year and a half ago, Walker started raising money for her ministry. She sent out letters, had lunch with potential donors and more. “I wanted to get myself in a position to tell people my heart,” Walker said. “If people hear about what I’m doing and hear about my vision, there’s no way they won’t want to support it some way.” Walker gets minimal funding from the govern-ment. DHS will only reimburse her for children in custody. But when the girls leave or turn 18, the reim-bursement stops. “Since we started, we have not had one need,”

Walker said. “It’s been three months. Literally, when it’s time to pay rent — it’s crazy. We have churches come all the time and drop off food. Harvard Meat gives us fi fteen pounds of meat a month. I haven’t had to buy any meat since we moved in.” About a dozen people give at least a $100 a month to Project Manna Girls’ Home. Walker also gets plenty of non-monetary donations. When times get challenging, Walker thinks back to the time she heard from the Holy Spirit in Brazil. “I always go back to the time God spoke the vision and the promise,” Walker said. “Th e orphanage was built out of obedience.” Walker also mentioned volunteer options that ORU students could get involved in. “We need a ton of help tutoring,” Walker said. “And people coming to do cooking classes or stuff like that.” Whether or not students get involved with Project Manna Girls’ Home , Walker wants ORU students to reach out somewhere because, “It’s really needed.” “ORU is a breeding ground for purpose and vi-sion,” Walker said. “Th at’s where I got mine from and I know that’s where a whole lot of other people do.”

If students wish to get in-volved in Project Manna

Girls’ Home, visit:www.freetolaunch.com


College Weekend: Twenty-fi ve years strong

43%

11%

2%3%

2%

2%

Top FiveTop FiveTop FiveTop FiveOklahoma -1,510 students

Texas - 401 students

California - 108 students

Florida - 78 students

Colorado - 77 students

Georgia - 77 students

By Amber Smith Th is week in the year 1988, the Fall College Weekend experienced a schedule change that has remained to this day. According to an archived Oracle article published on Oct. 6, 1988, the dates of the Fall weekend changed from Th anksgiving break weekend to the weekend of Oct. 28-30. Th e article said “better weather conditions and fl ight availability,” were among reasons for the change. Th is change is still in eff ect today, and the 2013 Fall College Weekend is set for November 7-9. Twenty-fi ve years ago, ORU faculty expected 1,200 prospective students to visit the campus during Fall College Weekend. Since then, ORU’s campus visitation has increased. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen the number of campus visits grow signifi cantly; there were 4,200 visits by prospective students in 2012-2013,” according to an email sent to faculty earlier this semester. “Th e Whole Person Scholarship and College Weekend events accounted for

over 1,600 prospective student visits last year.” Th is year, administrators are expect-ing even more. Th e archived article suggests that, “…changing the date for the Fall Col-lege Weekend will give faculty and staff an opportunity to be home for the Th anksgiving weekend, as well as increase the number of available student workers.” Th e much-needed Th anksgiving weekend is still a commodity most faculty get to enjoy. “To my knowledge, the faculty have always had the same time off over Th anksgiving as the students,” said Registrar David Fulmer. “Th e Univer-sity remains open the Wednesday prior to Th anksgiving, so staff have to work their regular schedule, but since there are no classes, faculty are not required to be here.” In 1988, Fall College Weekend was a huge event that depended on 200 workers to carry out all of the tasks involved. And, especially true in recent years, student workers continue to have a vital role in making the weekend

Graphic by Rebecca Glenn

By Dominique Johnson A little less than 50 years ago, ORU’s founder delivered his fi rst address to the student body. In Oral Robert’s speech, he spoke of the “Quest for the Whole Man.” Th is year, Whole Person Scholarship has been renamed the “Quest for the Whole Person Scholarship” — Quest Scholarship for short. “He wanted to articulate we’re on a quest for wholeness,” said Jeremy Bur-ton, senior Director for University Rela-tions and Communications. “You never arrive. You’re always pushing to be more whole in all those areas of our life — spiritually, mentally, physically, socially.” When President William Wilson came to the university, he researched the initial vision of the Whole Person Scholarship and found Roberts’ address. “You have, in coming to ORU, pledged yourself with us in what I consider to be the most exciting and revolutionary quest in modern times,” Roberts said in his address. “Th e quest for the whole man.” Th e name change became offi cial this year. For the most part, the nature of the scholarship will not change. But Burton hopes the name will “invite more pro-spective students to the table.” “We wanted to make sure that pro-spective students know that we’re trying to fi nd those that are excelling,” Burton said. “We’re not looking for those that are whole and complete, because that’s not possible.” In the next few weeks, the uni-versity will release a website for the Quest Scholarship. Th e site will include information about the scholarship guidelines, how to apply and the option to nominate a student online. “Wholeness is a way of life here,” Roberts said in his address. “It’s some-thing you get—it’s something you can become. Here you reach for excellence and fi nd it.”

Scholarship name change

experience of future ORU students a memorable one. “A College Weekend gives pro-spective students an opportunity to experience ORU fi rst hand,” said the 1988 Oracle article. “Guests meet the students and faculty, live in the dorms and participate in activities including worship and entertainment.” According to the university’s web-site, College Weekends in recent years have also given prospective students opportunities to audition for scholar-ships including, “Talent Scholarship[s] for students interested in majoring in Art, Dance, Drama, Broadcasting and Music.” Today, the welcome invitation for potential students is still a priority to the university. “ORU welcomes visitors from all over the world to experience the cam-pus fi rsthand,” according to the uni-versities website. “Once here, you will feel the passion and excitement that ORU students experience every day. We believe you will feel the diff erence the moment you set foot on campus.”


College weekend favorites

“My favorite moment when I came for college weekend was when they were recording the ORU live worship album....ATh at’s really what sealed the deal for me coming here.”

“I really liked going to chapel and hearing Rutland. He was awesome, of course.” “I loved my host. She was amazing; totally made me feel like I was at home.”

“Defi nitely the worship ser-vice, that was really the deciding factor, and that’s kind of what made me come to ORU. I want-ed to be involved with that kind of worship weekly.”

Mary Kleinhans, sophomore Matthew Price, sophomoreNyticia Kizer, sophomore

Photos by Meghan Drake

trying to preserve them. Luce traveled from her current home in Chicago to Tulsa for a book sign-ing on Oct. 28 to promote “Fields of Grace,” released Oct. 22. As more than 30 people � led by for autographs, Luce is bubbly and expressive. She laughs. Necklaces swinging, she hugs people over the small table. “You’re a survivor,” she tells them. “It’s nice to meet you. � ank you for praying. You’re a healer of the world.” She touches her burns, patches of pink and yellow mixed with cream. Almost 30 percent of her body needed skin grafts.

It hasn’t been easy. Writing helped. “Writing the book was a sign for me be-cause I was approached

about it right around the time of the four

boy’s funerals,” Luce said. “I felt as if it could be a memorial for them. I needed a way out.” Her “way out” came while she was still in the hospital, an experience blurred by skin surgeries and morphine. She knew she had to write the book immediately, for fresh purpose and clar-ity. For Austin and Garrett and the boys who didn’t deserve such a death. “I think that was the � rst time in my life that I realized I wasn’t a victim. I was a survivor,” Luce said. Luce’s book collaborator, Robin Gaby Fisher, met her the day she came home from the hospital. Fisher, a two-time Pulitzer � nalist and director of Rutgers University’s de-partment of journalism, wondered if it was too soon to write about the tragedy. “� ere were many times in the course of the writing where I said, ‘Hannah, are you sure you’re ready?’” Fisher said in a telephone interview last week. “But she insisted it would help

her heal by talking about it over and over and over.” In the book, Luce clari� es facts about the crash. Contrary to most news reports, Anderson did not pull Luce from the burning plane. She hoisted herself out of a partially crumpled door. Gasping for air, she then saw An-derson, charred and bloodied, walking with his characteristic Marine swagger toward her. Aside from his upright gait, he was unrecognizable. Anderson led Luce onward to a road, even with 90 percent of his body burned. She knows he saved her. Luce would recall several saviors from that day. One arrived with the initial batch of � rst responders. He held her hand in the ambulance. Fire Chief Duane Banzet, of Neode-sha, Kans., recalls seeing Luce for the � rst time and noticing a sense of seren-ity in her and Anderson’s eyes. Later, Banzet would tell Luce it was the peace of God. When he walks into Mardel for the book signing after making the two-hour drive from Kansas, Luce gets up to embrace him. She introduces Banzet as “the � reman who saved me.” � e last time he had seen Luce was when she came to Kansas to visit the crash site. “She was really struggling at that time, and it was just pretty overwhelm-ing — the grief and sadness she had,” Banzet said. He was amazed at the smiling and talkative young woman at the book-store. He was even more amazed at the miracle Luce demonstrated more than 30 times that night: writing. “Seeing her hand as badly damaged as it was that day and seeing her write autographs on books brought so much joy to me because I honestly didn’t know if they’d be able to save her hand,” Banzet said. For much of their meeting, Banzet is perfectly content to sit in a folding chair behind Luce as she signs the books with a black sharpie. He watches her small

hand deftly scribble word after word. After the crash, he wrote Luce letters of encouragement. When his phone rings for an interview on the afternoon of Nov. 1, Banzet quickly answers. “I got her book � nished yesterday and was in the middle of writing her a letter when you called.” Luce said his written messages helped her heal. “It was so incredible to see him,” she said. “He and I are very close.” To � ll her days, Luce works on her new non-pro� t Mirror Tree, an organiza-tion dedicated to reintegrating refugees. She records music and writes. “One thing I’ve learned is that I have to keep creating,” Luce said. “I still go through Post-Traumatic Stress Disor-der, but it actually fuels me because the � ashbacks, nightmares, whatever, end up creating something .” Her journey has also been one of faith. Fisher, her book collaborator, found this surprising. “I found a girl who was really question-ing her faith,” Fisher said. “I think that struggle made me realize my own vulner-abilities with faith and made me think a lot of thoughts about my own faith….She was very brave to be so honest.” Questions about how the crash has changed her view of God make Luce pause. “Let me think about it for a second,” she said. Sips co� ee. Pause. “� e thing about deliverance is that it’s never immediate,” Luce said, slowly. “� e kind of things we need to be delivered from are never what we think.” Luce goes on to explain how she wants to hear other people’s survival experiences. She extends an invitation for students from her alma mater to send her their stories. “If I were to say anything to ORU students,” Luce said, “this is what I would say: � e journey of faith is evident within the soul, not because we say it is, but be-cause we’re still breathing.”

By Hannah Covington � at afternoon, Hannah Luce boarded a twin-engine aircraft headed for a Christian youth rally in Iowa. She was wearing bright red Lips sunglasses, her mother’s lavender blouse and black spandex leggings. With Austin and Garrett, two of her best friends, seated next to her, she took exactly four smiling pictures on an iPhone. Eight water bottles sat in a cooler behind the seats. Luce, a 2011 ORU grad, remembers these minute details because she sees them, regularly, in nightmares. � e plane carrying Luce and four other friends caught � re and crashed into a rural Kansas � eld about 4:30 p.m. on May 11, 2012. Recent ORU graduates Luke Sheets, 23; Stephen Luth, 22; and for-mer ORU marketing instructor Garrett Coble, 29, were killed on impact. Luce remembers being on � re, the black spandex melting to her legs. She remembers o� ering up a prayer for mercy before they hit the ground and following Iraq veteran and friend, Austin Anderson, 27, to the road before being found by two women in a minivan. She remembers � nding out in the hospital that Anderson

died from his injuries early the next morning. Eighteen months later, sipping a Starbucks co� ee, Luce, 24, sat on the ground in the super bargain aisle of a Mardel bookstore to talk about the memories of these friends and how she’s

I think that was the � rst time in my life that I realized I wasn’t a victim. I was a survivor. -Hannah Luce Stephen Luth

Austin Anderson

Luke SheetsGraphic by Bruce Dixon

Garrett Coble

Photo by Austin St. John


@oruoraclesportsSPORTS

By Ryan Woods Coach Scott Sutton has more wins than any other basketball coach in ORU history. Entering his fifteenth season, new challenges will keep his job interesting as he prepares for ORU’s second season in the Southland Con-ference. Sutton had a unique challenge last year as the team entered play in the Southland Conference after 15 seasons in the Summit League. Led by seniors Warren Niles and Damen Bell-Holter, the Golden Eagles posted their second consecutive 20-win season and earned a third place finish in the conference. After a disappointing first-round exit in the conference tournament, Sut-ton and his staff began laying the foun-dation for the upcoming fall season. The Golden Eagles welcome 10 new faces to the team, and many will be looked to for major minutes and productivity. Obi Emegano is a redshirt sopho-more who sat out last season after transferring from Western Illinois. Emegano was a four-year letterman at Edmond Memorial High School where he was named the Mid-State Conference “Player of the year,” aver-aging 17.7 ppg, 8 rpg and 1.7 spg his junior season. He was named to the 2012 Summit League All-Newcomer team averaging 13.1 ppg, and 3.9 rpg. Omegano is a projected starter at guard, and will see big minutes this season alongside D.J. Jackson. Tulsa native Drew Wilson is a redshirt sophomore who transferred to ORU from Missouri State after the

tragic loss of his sister on April 3. “Coach Sutton and ORU reached out to me to send their condolences and right then and there I knew I had to make the trip back home and play for ORU,” Wilson said. “They say you come to ORU for a reason, almost like you are destined to be here, and that’s exactly how I feel. They have welcomed me with open arms.” Transfering players are usually re-quired to sit out a year of eligibility, but the NCAA cleared Wilson to transfer with immediate play due to his family circumstances. “The coaches came into the weight room and told me I had been cleared to play and it was just like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I was just thank-ful. The whole team came and hugged me man, and it was nothing but love,” Wilson said. The returning corps consists of se-nior forward Shawn Glover, sophomore Brandon Conley, and redshirt sopho-more guards D.J. Jackson and Korey Billbury. Glover is the team’s lone senior and will be looked to for leadership both on and off the court. The coaches are looking to Glover to be a strong influence on his younger teammates, and to leave his mark on the Southland Conference. “Shawn’s a prolific scorer. He’s played at a high of a level through the first month of practice and tonight that I’ve seen in a long time,” said Sutton after the first preseason game

Saturday night. The Golden Eagles have been known for their tough non-confer-ence matchups early in the season, and this year is no different. They will face Kansas State, Saint Louis, Wisconsin, Wichita State and Baylor on the road before the end of December. Despite appearing young on pa-per, the Golden Eagles bring valuable experience to the floor. “It’s still so early, and there’s so many new guys,” said Sutton, “but if we can maxi-mize our potential and stay relatively healthy I think this team has a chance to compete for a conference championship.”

From top left clockwise: Drew Wilson, Obi Emegano and Corbin Byford

participate in ORU media day.

Photos by Nick Conroy and Justice Enlow

Young Golden Eagles ready

to fly in 2013


By David Sauer Last year was a storybook ending for the Golden Eagles. Seniors Kevi Luper and Jaci Bigham were sent out with the conference championship that had eluded them in years past. This year’s goal is no different for the team. The only thing that’s changed are the faces on the court. Only three players who saw court time last year have returned to the team. Seniors Christian Key and Sarah Shel-ton, along with junior Bernadett Balla,

will lead the young team,

including seven new freshmen.

Those three will be joined by junior

Jenni Bryan, who redshirted last year after

transferring from Okla-homa State University.

“All four of those players are the perfect leaders for this

year’s squad because they tend to lead by example,” said second-year

head coach Misti Cussen. “They’re giving those new faces people to emu-late and it’s worked beautifully with this freshman class so far.” The two seniors on the team, Key and Shelton, are expected to be the leaders from a performance standpoint as well. Key will play a huge part in what ORU wants to do on the offensive side of the ball. She averaged 7.4 points per game in a role-player position last year, and is likely to be ORU’s leading scorer this season. “She can beat you from the outside and she can beat you from the inside,” Bryan said. “If you’re going to stop her three-point game, she has a 15 foot range. She’s stepped up in practice [and] she comes ready to go every day.” Shelton will anchor the Golden Eagles down low on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. Her season was highlighted by six blocks in the

first half of the NCAA tourna-ment game against Tennessee.

“With her length and strength on the low post I think we’re going

to be dominating down there,” Balla said. “She really brings joy as well. She smiles all the time.” Coach Cussen emphasized the defensive impact that the senior center will have. “She’s definitely our defensive anchor,” coach Cussen said. “When we extend and do things defensively it makes such a difference having Sarah down low. It gives our guards the ability to take chances.” In order for the Golden Eagles to be successful, they will need contributions from their large freshmen class, which includes Kaylan Mayberry, a Tulsa na-tive who is expected to play point guard most of the year. Coach Cussen has high expectations for Mayberry’s ORU career. “I think [she] is going to have a great four-year career here at ORU,” Cussen said. “We’ll give her some room to have some freshman moments from time to time, but I think she will establish herself as one of the best point guards in our conference.” “Maybe they are freshmen, but they don’t play like it,” Shelton said. “They play like they have played a few years. [They] come in, they’re ready to go. They’re on top of things.” ORU is in for a challenging start to the season. They face more than 10 teams who played in the NCAA tournament last year, including Kansas, Nebraska and Navy. Coach Cussen said she designed the schedule to be difficult for a reason. “I’m not hired to go undefeated in the non-conference,” Cussen said. “I believe that putting an extremely dif-ficult non-conference schedule together improves my program’s chances of win-ning those conference regular season titles and tournaments.”

It will be Cussen’s second year as head coach of the Golden Eagles. Cus-sen said the experience from the first year helps relieve some of the pressure. “I’m glad to get the first year under my belt,” Cussen said. “It’s good for our staff to have a full year together for our cohesiveness. I’m not going into the season with any self-imposed pressures or externally imposed pressures either.” The team will have a different look this year. More roster depth will allow Cussen to go deeper into the bench. As a result, ORU will look to be more ath-letic and play more up-tempo offense. “Last year we just didn’t have the depth with the number of players to maintain that intensity and I believe we do this year,” Cussen said. “We’ll push the tempo a lot. It will be a little bit more of a quicker game for us.” Part of that different look for ORU will mean less emphasis on one player scoring a lot of points for ORU. “Instead of having two scorers that have double digits we may have four. Nobody may have 20 or 25 points a game, but we might have four that have 10 or 11. There’s a balance that comes about and that’s a good thing.” Despite the offseason losses, ORU was still picked second in the preseason Southland Conference polls, behind Stephen F. Austin. ORU swept SFA in the two regular season meetings last season. Cussen is confident that the team will be able to find success with their new lineup of players. “I think the winning will take care of itself if we are putting the product on the floor that we need to.”

Fresh faces taking over for women’s team

Photos by Justice Enlow

Top left: Head Coach Misti Cussen is entering her second season leading the team. Top right: Kaylan Mayberry will

be expected to fill the role vacated by Jaci Bigham. Bottom: Christian Key is going to be a main contributer for the offense.


Editor’s note: David Sauer is a a junior convergence journalism major at ORU and sports production editor.

By David Sauer Th e NFL season is at the halfway point, and even though Jim Mora may take issue, it’s time to start talking playoff s.

Th e AFC playoff bracket is fi lling itself in. Kansas City, New England and Denver are almost certain to make postseason play. Cincinnati has a two-game lead in their division and the Steelers and Ravens don’t seem to want to beat anyone. Indianapolis also holds a two-game lead over Tennessee, whose schedule does not lend itself to a playoff berth. Th e debate then lies in the fi nal wild card spot. Shockingly, the Jets currently hold the spot after upsetting the Saints in week nine. Th e Titans, Dolphins and Chargers all have four wins. Miami has the easiest schedule going forward, but locker room issues will knock them out of the hunt. Th e Chargers seem playoff bound every year, and every year they manage to disappoint.

First-half NFL surprises Extra PointsBy George Korkian

Th e 2013 NFL season just reached the halfway point. Coming into the year, everyone expected the Seahawks and Broncos to do well and the Jaguars and Buccaneers to do poorly. Nine weeks have proved all of that to be true. And Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson are still better than everyone else. Th is season off ered plenty of triumph and heartbreak and has been one of the strangest seasons in recent years. Here are some teams that have either exceeded preseason expectations or fallen short of them.Achievers: Kansas City - Th e Chiefs, has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. After the 2-14 debacle of 2012, the Chiefs control their own destiny at 9-0. Adding head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith to a solid group of players proved to be genius. Look for the Chiefs to make some serious post-season noise. New England - After losing almost their entire receiving corps from a year ago, the Patriots have jumped out to a quiet 7-2 record and a two-game lead in the AFC East. Tom Brady just wins. New Orleans - Sean Peyton’s return from a year-long suspension has righted

the ship. After having the league’s worst defense last season, the Saints have the tenth best defense in 2013. Th ey will have to keep a close eye on the Panthers, who are only one game out of the division lead. Deceivers: Baltimore - Th e Super Bowl Champs have been really bad this year. A win over the 4-4 Dolphins has been the highlight of their season. A 3-5 record is better than the abysmal off ense, and the defense hasn’t done their part either. Th e Ravens need to fi gure things out quick if they want to have a say in the Wild Card race. Atlanta - Th e Falcons are 2-6 and seem to be going downhill fast. Th ey haven’t been able to stay healthy, and they are four games out in the division they won last year. Tampa Bay/Jacksonville - Pro football in Florida is laughable right now. Both teams are 0-8 and just plain terrible. Nothing is going right for either franchise, and at this point they are fi ghting to lock up the fi rst draft pick in 2014. Th e sunshine and living situation in Florida are the only consolation for potential top picks Teddy Bridgewater and Jadeveon Clowney.

Th is year will be diff erent. Phillip Rivers has once again brought his career back from the brink. Th e Chargers rank second in fi rst downs per game, and sixth in total off ense. If they can win key games over the Bengals and Chiefs they will be playoff bound. Th e NFC playoff picture is far more competitive than the AFC. Only three spots look to be fi lled at this point. Seattle and San Francisco are battling for who gets the division title and who gets the fi rst wild card seed. Th e Saints only have a one game lead over the Panthers in the South, but Sean Peyton and Drew Brees will make sure the division doesn’t slip away. Here’s where things get way more interesting. Th e Cowboys should still win their division, despite their best eff orts to give it away. Th e week 17 game between the two will be irrelavant if Dallas can win games they are expected to. Th e battle for the NFC North will go down to the wire. Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay all sit at 5-3. Aaron Rodgers could be out for four weeks or more with a fractured collarbone. Green Bay would be happy winning two of the next four games. Realistically, they might only win one with Seneca Wallace under center. Having the NFL’s second best rushing attack means nothing if teams can put their entire defense in the box. Green Bay can’t aff ord to get in shootout situations if they want to stay competitive until Rogers returns. Th e biggest game in the division may be Detroit at Chicago this Sunday. If the whispers of Jay Cutler’s early return are true, they should be the favorite to win the game, and as a result win the division. Once Rodgers returns, Green Bay returns to being the best team in the division, but it will probably be too late. Green Bay plays Detroit in week 13. Unless they can get a miraculous win without Rodgers, Detroit will easily grab the fi nal wild card spot. Th e Packers will be watching the playoff s from home.

to disappoint. NFL’s second best rushing attack means nothing if teams can put their entire defense in the box. Green Bay can’t aff ord to get in shootout situations if they want to stay competitive until Rogers returns. Th e biggest game in the division may be Detroit at Chicago this Sunday. If the whispers of Jay Cutler’s early return are true, they should be the favorite to win the game, and as a result win the division. Once Rodgers returns, Green Bay returns to being the best team in the division, but it will probably be too late. Green Bay plays Detroit in week 13. Unless they can get a miraculous win without Rodgers, Detroit will easily grab the fi nal wild card spot. Th e Packers will be watching the playoff s from home.

Internet photos


SCENE

By Chelsey Butler “‘Proposals’ is a memory play about love, relation-ships, hope and forgiveness: all basic elements of the human experience,” said Courtneay Sanders, ORU’s director of theater. For the second time in 15 years, the ORU drama department performed “Proposals” by Neil Simon, with opening night on Oct. 31. Over the course of four performances, the student cast brought the 1950s period show to life, and por-trayed heartache and passion with all the excellence of a professional theater. Natalie Spack, the female lead of the show, plays Josie, a young girl trying to enjoy what’s left of her childhood and figure out her future. Spack played this role with poise and energy. Her youthful interpreta-tion regaled audiences and brought vivacity to every scene. The part of Clemma, the family’s maid, was played by Ashley Hazzard, who brought the character a sense of dignity, maturity and responsibility. Her portrayal of a motherly figure brought the whole show together. Hazzard was comedic, yet serious. Her responsibility as the character who teaches the morals of the show did not go unnoticed. Hazzard reminded audiences that hope in love is possible at any age. The comedic portrayal of Josie’s father by Will Acker had audiences splitting their sides with laugh-ter. Nobody will forget his quirky stance, or the

‘Proposals’ offers big laughs for all

Brandon Richards portrayed an eccentric Florid-ian gangster who invited himself to the family lunch.

Photo by Julianne Gonzalez

By Victoria Atterberry Many are familiar with Ty-ler Ward’s YouTube covers of popular artists’ songs. With his own unique style and charm-ing good looks, Ward quickly made his claim to fame. An in-dependent artist from Denver, Colo., he continues his music endeavors in his latest album, “Honestly.” Featuring 12 songs of pop rock, the album is suitably named, as each track portrays the sincere feelings Ward has toward a special someone in his life.

Most of the tracks range from a medium to slow pace, with the exception of a few more upbeat tunes. Those familiar with Ward’s music notice the the album in-cludes older tracks from previous albums, such as “Dashes” and “Keeping Secrets.” The album also features tracks with Alex G, another popular YouTube artist, and Lindsey Stirling, a violinist, dancer and performer. Keeping the sound of the album instrumentally simple, Ward made use of basic instru-

ments such as the guitar, piano and drums. However, simple does not define “Honestly”’s sound. In the first track, “S.O.S.,” Ward introduces the horn. “Forever Starts Tonight” also includes special sound effects and, in “Some Kind of Beautiful,” the violin joins the entourage. With all the new sounds, Ward still remains true to his style of music. The songs in this album are unique to Ward’s musi-cal style, making the album both original and fresh. Those not familiar with Ward’s music may not be instantly attracted to his style. However, after tuning in, Ward’s critics will be captured by his catchy tunes. Considering Tyler Ward’s independent signing, the album was a professional production. If you like a raw, simple, acoustic feel to music, Tyler Ward’s “Honestly” is the album for you.

‘Honestly’: A fresh take from Tyler Ward

Internet photo

relief of the show, Richards portrayed a gangster from Miami, complete with an all white suit, matching fedora and a perfect, emphatic gangster accent. Audi-ences won’t forget Richards storming in and dancing away with their swooning hearts. Though the cast was the crown jewel of the show, audiences could not help but admire the intricate set. A perfectly recreated log cabin house front was displayed on the Howard stage. Thanks to Matt Saitas, the scene shop foreman, as well as light and set designer Jared Cole, assistant professor of theatre, the set for ‘Propos-als’ was brought to life. When “Proposals” was originally produced in 1997, the show was designed to be directed by a profes-sional with a youthful spirit; Courtneay Sanders has channeled that idea with Kelsie Kemper, a 2013 ORU alumna. She brought a new perspective to the show that could not have been communicated otherwise. President William Wilson attended the matinee show on Sunday and was thrilled with the perfor-mance. “The play was great. Scenery, costumes and pro-duction values were excellent and our students were fantastic in their acting,” said President Wilson in an email to the ORU theater department. “We were impressed and excited following the performance,” said Wilson. “Presidential pride filled my heart as I watched our students utilize their talents with exceptional skill and energy.”

authenticity that Acker brought to his lines. Perhaps the most comedic was the performance of Brandon Richards as Vinnie Bavasi. As the comedic


By Chelsey Butler Eight students from the ORU Theatre department were selected for a three week theater study in Kiefers-felden, Germany. These students will visit the International Performing Arts Institute on July 6-27 to further their skills in all aspects of musical theater. “This program is specifically de-signed for people who want to be active in the Broadway quality shows that tour Europe,” said Laura Holland, chair of the Communications Arts and Media department. “It’s an every-single-day acting, dancing and singing program.” The exclusive program, which is open to applicants as well as those attending university auditions, only ac-cepts 16 students each year. Out of the eight students invited from ORU, three of them are freshmen. “The majority of people that go, a lot of them are out of MFA programs. That is why I was so surprised, because they invited freshmen,” said Holland. One of the students selected for this study abroad program is senior musical theatre major Mercede Hanson. “I am really happy I have this

By Madison McDaniel The first time Ben Rector took the stage at Cain’s Ballroom, it wasn’t as the soulful, solo artist he is today. It was several years ago that this Tulsa native competed, and didn’t place, in a battle of the bands as a member of Euro-Mart. Now, years later, Rector graces the stage once more. Sunday, Nov. 3, Ben Rector made his way back to downtown Tulsa for “The Walking In Be-tween” tour to promote his fifth album. At 8 p.m., the opening act, Tyrone Wells, took stage with a style most closely relatable to Gavin DeGraw and Train. His songs have been featured in movies like “Something Borrowed” and the CW show, “The Vampire Diaries.” Wells played a set compatible with the energy that would later be established by Rector himself. As the lights dimmed and instruments joined in one by one, a swell of cheers filled the intimate setting. Shoulder to shoulder, the audience began clapping and lifting their hands as Rector finally walked on stage. Opening with “Ordinary Love,” a song

opportunity,” said Hanson. “I feel it will greatly help me grow in my abilities.” To earn an invitation to the exclusive institute, students had to spend a day at a rigorous workshop that was hosted in Howard Auditorium. This master class was hosted by Christopher Ryan, the director of musi-cal theatre at the International Per-forming Arts Institute. Ryan is an ORU alumnus who graduated in 2003. Students who attended the master class spent the day in Howard’s dance studio learning audition techniques, performing their prepared musical pieces and working on . For Hanson’s audition, she per-formed “Show Me” from the 1964 musical, “My Fair Lady.” To encourage self-growth, the program encourages students to create their own list of personal goals. “I want to learn consistency with my sound,” said Hanson. “I also want to work on singing my vowels and holding them out longer.” Devante Malone, a junior drama television film major, was also selected to attend the three week symposium. “The thing I’m most looking forward

to improving is my dancing ability,” said Malone. “That’s probably where I could use the most work. It would further help me become a triple threat.” A triple threat is an actor or actress who performs excellently in the three main aspects of musical theatre: singing, dancing and acting. Learning these skills doesn’t come at a cheap price. Each student has to fund their own trip, which costs approxi-mately $5,325, not including airfare. This estimate includes housing, meals and the program tuition. “As a group, we’re going to try to do some kind of fundraiser. We want to come together to something and split the money evenly,” said Hanson. While finances are a challenge for most college students, the International Performing Arts Institute helps stu-dents by providing them with creative ideas on how to raise funds. “I’ll be working a lot in the summer. That’s going to be most of my fundrais-ing,” said Malone. While the adventure has yet to begin for the students who will be attend-ing the program, teachers and students alike are excited about the possibilities

this program will bring to future ORU arts students. “We think this might become a yearly thing,” said Holland. “God’s doing something here [at ORU] and internationally. I’m excited about it.”

from his latest album, “The Walking In Between,” the lights danced with the beat as the fa-miliar tune sounded throughout the venue. Despite the concert landing on a Sunday night, from the very beginning, Rector set the tone of the night as a relaxed Saturday. Throughout the concert, only one word could be used to describe Rector: charming. He was interac-

tive with the audience as he added one-liners between songs, and even during his songs. The crowd, mostly teenage to twenty-something girls, giggled as he freely threw out sharp commentary. The set list was a perfect combination of old and new, soulful and upbeat. Throughout the night, Rector played singles from “The Walking In Between” like “Beautiful” and “I Like

You,” as well as some of the older songs he is most known for, including “Let the Good Times Roll” and “White Dress.” Rector closed the set with an encore cov-er of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” an unexpected, but enthusiastically greeted hit. The crowd immediately fell into the lively atmosphere, singing along word for word. At the beginning of the concert, Rec-tor was just another talented performer. He wooed the audience with his meaningful lyrics, playful melodies and endearing per-sonality. At the end of the night, he left the audience like an old friend; it was hard to say goodbye, but exciting to anticipate the next time around.

Students to study musical theater abroad

Ben Rector wins Tulsa’s heart on his American tour

Photo by Madison McDaniel

Photo by Chelsey Butler

Junior Devante Malone is one of eight ORU students chosen to at-tend an exclusive theater intensive in Germany this January.

Ben Rector packs Cain’s Ballroom for “The Walking In Between” tour.


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Christmas Train rolls in for festive funBy Amber Smith With the holiday season fast approaching, Christ-mas preparations are beginning to take place ev-erywhere you look. Set your alarms and mark your calendars for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Th is specifi c time and date begins the online sale for tickets to one of Oklahoma’s greatest Christmas time attractions, the Christmas Train. Located 4.5 miles north and 8.5 miles east of Pryor, Okla., Th e Christmas Train is an old-fashioned western town “untouched by time,” and is a friendly family event. Th e majority of the streets are paved, so the experience is wheelchair accessible. Amongst the commodities that await you, Christ-mas cheer is just the beginning. Th e main attraction is a ride on a genuine steam locomotive, which features original artwork, live acting and much more as it reveals the nativity story of Christmas. Th ere you will also fi nd narrated wagon rides, a picture opportunity with Santa Claus, arcades, carousel rides, a ropes course, live western music shows, multiple dining op-tions, pony rides, bumper cars and go-karts. Th e offi cial website suggests allowing two to three hours to experience the many features that the event has to off er. Keep in mind that separate fees do apply to most of these extra features.

Running on select evenings during November and December, Th e Christmas Train attracts over 50,000 guests every year; but the tickets for this event sell out in a matter of hours. Tickets may only be purchased online during the 48-Hour Online Super Sale. Chances are that they

will be gone by the end of that 48 hours, so don’t wait. Ticket prices during this 48-hour window will be $10 each. Th at gets you entrance into the park, a train ride to take at your leisure, as well as free wagon and carousel rides. Th ere are no refunds on these tickets, so be sure to mark the date. Christmas is closer than you think.

Graphic by Matthew Dean

By Caleb KoehlerDating shouldn’t be a foreign thing. Most of it is common sense. If something doesn’t work, don’t do it again. I see people

trying to fl irt with girls the same way every time, and they keep getting shut down. Here are some tips for my fellow bros out there. 1. Stop. If you have trouble talking to girls or they seem to not enjoy hanging out with you, stop. Contrary to popular belief, practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Trial and error may help you under-stand what to do, but too many errors lead to a reputation you don’t want. So, stop. Don’t fl irt with girls. Don’t go out of your way to talk to them. People who approach you fi rst are people who are interested in hanging out with you. So, don’t brush off people that approach you. Be courteous and realize they may be people you want to get to know better. Practice with your friends on what works and what doesn’t. 2. Th ink. Self-awareness is one of the most important things you can acquire in life. Realize who you are as a person. If you are a smooth talker, use that to your advantage. Play to your strengths and know your weaknesses. Don’t try to be perfect. People think the opposite sex wants a perfect per-son, but people want what’s real. Th ink about what you like about yourself, and be that. Also, think about what you like in others and try to implement those characteristics into your own life. Don’t be fake, but don’t go around displaying your worst to everyone.

Date Doctor: Stop. Think. Act.

I heard someone say, “I show people my ugly side so that when they see my good side, they will like me that much more.” Th at’s not a good idea. If you make yourself seem unattractive, no one will want you. Don’t be a plastic person. Learn the balance. Putting on your best imitation of Squidward, or going out of your way to play yourself down won’t make you at-tractive to others. Purposefully looking bad or acting like an idiot will leave a reputation that hurts. Make a list of what you want and work to better yourself. 3. Act. Now that you have something in your mind about what you want to do or be, act on it. Too many people wimp out because they are scared of what might happen. Now is when you make the move. Th e move may not actually be asking them out. It may be as simple as show-ing them you have changed and become more personable. With that in mind, don’t tell them this. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t spell it out for them; instead, lead them to the realization you are diff er-ent. Telling someone about yourself is less eff ective than showing them you possess a trait. Whether it be a girl or a guy you are interested in, show them the best side possible without being fake. A good way to do so is by having a genuine, one-on-one talk with them. With a deep talk, you show them you are a passionate, intuitive person and also insure you aren’t written off as fake.

By Greg America Brown Did I miss the class on being “socially adept?” I don’t really know many peo-ple here at ORU, and I’m honestly fi ne with that.

Sure, I talk to a ridiculous amount of people almost every day as I wander about campus.

But the truth is that I don’t really know any of the people I talk to. I can’t even tell you many of their names.

Here at ORU, there’s a certain ex-pectation for people to be friendly.

I’m not sure if it relates to our affi li-ation with religion or if it’s a product of our proximity to the South, a place riddled with friendliness, but I feel like there is an absence of real substance in most of this campus’ conversation.

For instance, at the end of the day, I know a handful of people are doing well enough to tell me so, and were headed to some class around 12:50, but the connection of true conversation just doesn’t exist.

It may be my fault. I’m honestly not sure. But then again, I certainly hear mindless rabble among students here all the time, and the implications of this lack of connection in our culture are severely harmful.

If we are simply talking to each other to promote a friendly environ-ment, or to set a certain standard of goodness, then what’s the point?

I think it is fairly self-serving to advertise ourselves as friendly or easy to talk to in order to promote ourselves. In reality, nothing is ever really said and no

one is ever really connected.Yes, of course I can now talk to liter-

ally anyone about nothing, but what’s after that?

What happens when I have real problems and the nice folks I chat with around campus don’t really grasp what I’m going through because of our poor communication habits?

Where’s the class on being socially adept that I missed?

I think it seems normal to nearly everyone here; however, when outsiders are introduced to the environment, the experience may be unpleasant.

For example, I have a few off -campus friends that frequent our fair university, and they are seriously bothered by some of the ways people interact here.

Th ey say we have no substance; that we are talking to hear the hinges of our jaw squeak. I don’t want to be like that.

Now, I’m not calling for an un-healthy portion of negativity at ORU, or for people to stop talking to one another. What I am asking is for those in the ORU environment to take a minute to really think about what they are saying to each other.

Try to actually converse with some-one. Try to avoid the clichés that we utter day in and day out.

Better yet, try to speak because you care, and not because you feel obligated.

We aren’t called to cheapen the hu-man experience with a friendly façade, but we are called to build real relation-ships with one another and to connect to the people around us.

The Syndicated Cynic: How was your weekend?

MUSE

pectation for people to be friendly.I’m not sure if it relates to our affi li-

ation with religion or if it’s a product of our proximity to the South, a place riddled with friendliness, but I feel like there is an absence of real substance in most of this campus’ conversation.

For instance, at the end of the day, I know a handful of people are doing well enough to tell me so, and were headed to some class around 12:50, but the connection of true conversation just

It may be my fault. I’m honestly not sure. But then again, I certainly hear

For example, I have a few off -campus friends that frequent our fair university, and they are seriously bothered by some of the ways people interact here.

Th ey say we have no substance; that we are talking to hear the hinges of our jaw squeak. I don’t want to be like that.

Now, I’m not calling for an un-healthy portion of negativity at ORU, or for people to stop talking to one another. What I am asking is for those in the ORU environment to take a minute to really think about what they are saying to each other.

Try to actually converse with some-


Ask AustinBy Austin Whitaker Dear Austin, My roommate is a re-ally great person and an overall great roommate, except for the stench he

occasionally brings into the room. Is there a polite way to tell him to just freshen up? Sincerely, A Ruffl ed Roommate

Dear Ruffl ed,1. Open up your heart. If you are attempting to have your roommate open up to you, you must fi rst open up to him. Share your own struggles. Let him know about the is-sues you’re dealing with. Th is will allow you to make progress in this conse-quential turning point in his life.2. Approach him. In order to see action, you must take action. You can spend time chatting

with your roomie and trying to help him deal with his deeper issues, but just as a mother seal must abandon her young, you too must learn to practice tough love and do what is best for your roommate to help him grow. Approach him in a one-on-one setting; preferably on a rickety bridge over a jagged cliff , to help him feel the weight of the situation. Th en, simply tell your roommate that you’ve had enough, and you need to separate. After this, turn dramatically and walk away. If your roommate listens to you, then you’ve won him over. You must now choose the appropriate way in which to deal with the odor itself. Having ‘‘the talk” with your room-mate didn’t work? Try a simpler method and take a trip down to Yankee Candle and check out the island air of Ocean Blossom. Blessings, Austin

Editor’s note: Austin Whitaker, a junior at ORU, is a guest mock-advice columnist.

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Graphic by Matthew Dean


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